Hosted once again by the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, 2016 marks the festival’s 40th anniversary, and the milestone year celebrations have already kicked off with an official program launch this week.
Giving the community a taste of what’s in store, seven-year-old Dimitri Kastrissios stole the spotlight as he showcased his enviable skills on the bouzouki.
Joining Dimitri on stage was Greek goddess Effie, who has been named Paniyiri ambassador. She announced the 2016 program highlights, which include the launch of an anniversary cookbook, the inaugural Paniyiri Medals recognising those servicing the community, and more than 30 food stalls, along with a star line-up of authors, chefs, speakers, home cooks, dancers and singers.
The Paniyiri’s main stage in Musgrave Park will host more than 20 hours of entertainment, seeing the return of ‘Greek Dancing with the Stars’ featuring special celebrity guests and judges, the famous ‘ZORBA-Til-You-Drop’, grape stomping, olive and honey puff eating competitions and plate smashing, among others.
Over four decades, the Paniyiri, which is Australia’s longest-running Greek festival, has grown to become Queensland’s signature celebration of all things Greek, with organisers expecting more than 60,000 people to take part.
The Paniyiri will take place on Saturday 21 (from noon) & Sunday 22 May (from 10.00 am) at Musgrave Park & The Greek Club, Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane.
For more information, visit www.paniyiri.com or call (07) 3844 1166. Tickets: $10 adults (13+), $3 pensioners, and free for children. To purchase tickets, visit www.paniyiri.com